Apparatus for removing metal



1936- J. 1.. ANDERSON I rmnuus FOR REMOVING METAL {filed April 18, 1955 4 Sheets-Shet 1 m n m m Q0. E 0 Q W i i .7 l 1 M B ML. b0 m J m. 7 JM mm? J 3 S MT k w n 8 m. P a A J g z. u. 8 0 9 F fl u. 5 ec. .m. W QQ L Q 2 Feb. 18, 1936.

J. 1.. ANDERSON APPARATUS REMOVING METAL 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 18, 1935 ATTORNEY Feb. 18, 1936. J. 1.. ANDERSON APPARATUS FOR REMOVING METAL 4 shets-sheet 3 Filed April l8, 1935 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Feb. 18, 1936. J. ANDERSON v APPARATUS FOR REMOVING METAL 1' 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 1a. 1935 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 18', 1936 UNITED STATES 2,030,842 APPARATUS roa aanovmo METAL James L. Anderson, Closter, N. 1., assignor to Air Reduction Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 18, 1935, Serial No. 17,070

15 Claim.

This invention relates to apparatus for removing metal from metal bodies, and especially to apparatus for surfacing steel 'billets. I

As they come from the blooming mill, steel billets have a coating of oxide on their surfaces and have various other imperfections, such as pockmarks, laps, surface cracks, and mill scale adhering to or rolled into the surface. In order toobtaln a perfect surface on articles rolled from the billet, metal is removed from the faces of, the billet to the depth of these imperfections by directing a stream oi'cxidizing gas against the metal.

It is an object ofthis invention to reduce the time and cost of billet surfacing by providing improvedapparatus which performs the operation quickly and with less oxygen and labor than formerly required. In accordance with one feature of the invention, torches are connected with 20 a carriage which runs on a track between parallel billet tables. The torches are directed against the surface of a billet on one table while the.carriage moves along the track in. a forward direction, and the torches are then shifted into position to direct jets against a billet on the other table while the carriage travels in the opposite direction. The billet on the first table is turned or replaced while the torches are surfacing the billet on the second table.

The invention provides a novel construction and combination of elements for positioning the torches over the billet conveniently and quickly a and for regulating from a distance the spacing of the torches from the billet surface.

Another-object of the invention is to provide improved torch-holding means for simultaneously shifting a plurality of torches into positions for surfacing either plane, twisted and/or transversely curved billet faces.

invention will appear or be pointed out as the 1 1i cation proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of billet surfacing apparatus embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the billet surfacing machine shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged end view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, looking toward the left.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged front view of the torches and means for adjusting the torches to operate over plane, concave or convex surfaces.

Figs. 5-7 are sectional views taken on the lines 5-5, 6-6, and '|.-T, respectively, in Fig. 4.

Other objects, features and advantages of the (Ci. ass-2s) A. base or ce it has wheels H which run on a track comprising rails i2 fastened to the ties I 3. Abutments I5 at the ends of the rails serve as bumpers to prevent the carriage from I running beyond the ends of the track. 'Bille't 5 tables i1 and iii extend along opposite sides of the track, substantially parallel with the track, and support billets i9 is end-to-end relation; as shown in Fig, 1. Steel brushes 20 attached to the carriage sweep the tracks ahead of the wheels;

An arm 2| is supported from the carriage II] by a support 22. The arm 2| extends beyond the side of the carriage and holds a frame 24 over the billets. Torches 25 carried by the frame 24 surface the billets on the table l8 as the carriage 15 travels along the rails toward the right in Fig. 1. The support 22 can be rotated on a bearing 26 about a vertical axis which is substantially mid.- way between the billet tables i1 and I8 so that rotation of the support swings the torches which 20 were surfacing the billets on the table i8 into position to surface the billets on the table IT. A lock or clamping screw 28 is used to prevent the support 22 from. rotating when the carriage is traveling. 25

Billets are put on the table E8 in end-to-end relation as shown in Fig. l. The torches are positioned over the end billet, by mechanism which will be described, and the carriage is driven to the right while the torches surface the first billet. 3o The supply of oxygen to the torches is cut off by the attendant when the torches reach the end of the first billet, and the carriage is stopped with the torches in position to preheat the end of the next billet. As soon as the metal is heated sufli- 35 ciently to start the surfacing operation, the oxygen jets are again turned on and the movement of the carriage continued toward the right. While the machine is operating to surface billets table it.

When the carriage iii reaches its limit of travel to the right, the supportv 22 is rotated to bring the torches into position to operate over the billets on the table i1. While the carriage travels 45 to the left along the track and moves the torches across the billets on the table it, the surfaced billets on the other table are turnedto expose an unsurfaced side, or removed and replaced with new billets. The machine can, therefore, operate 50 continuously with no interruption for the handling of billets.

The carriage is driven by an electric motor 30 through reduction gearing 3 l, and sprocket chains 33 and 34. The supply of power to the motor 55 on the table it, other billets are placed on the 40 36 located on the support 22.

is controlled by switches operated by push-buttons The speed of the motor is controlled by a rheostat 31. The motor is equipped with magnetic braking which stops the motor quickly when the power is shut off. Thus both the starting and stopping of the carriage are in immediate response to the operation of the push-buttons 36, and it is possible for the attendant to accurately position the torches at the end of a billet in position for preheating.

The attendant sits on a seat 40 supported by a bracket 4| which connects with the support 22 so that the seat moves with-the supportwhen the torches are swung from one side of the carriage to the other. This movement of the seat keeps the attendant in the same relative position with respect to the torches so that he can watch the billet surfacing operation and make adjustments if it becomes necessary. The connection of the seat to the support 22 enables the attendant to swing the support by walking around the bearing tically spaced, grooved tracks 49 and 50.

26 while sitting on the seat 40.

Figs. 2 and 3 show the construction of the arm 2|, support 22, and frame 24. The support 22 includes a cylindrical lower end which fits into a pedestal 44. the carriage and the upper end of the pedestal is the bearing 26. The support 22 has a shoulder against the bearing 26, and a joint 46 allowing movement of the upper portion of the support to obtain a true horizontal position for the arm 2|. After obtaining the horizontal adjustment of the arm 2|, the joint 46 is locked by a clamping screw 41.

The upper portion of the support 22 has ver- The upper and lower edges of the arm 2| slide in these grooved tracks to obtain a horizontal movement of the arm transversely of the carriage. A rack 5| on the arm 2| meshes with a pinion 52 secured on a shaft 53 which turns in bearings in the support 22 and has a hand-wheel 54 within convenient reach of the attendant for moving the arm 2| in the grooved tracks 49 and 50.

A worm wheel 56 on the end of the shaft 53 remote from the wheel 54 is connected to the shaft 53 by a clutch 51 which is engaged and disengaged by operating a hand-wheel 58. The shaft 53 is hollow and the hand-wheel 58 is connected with the clutch by a rod 60 extending through the-shaft 53. A worm 6| engages the worm wheel 56 and is fixed on a vertical shaft 62.

Thisshaft turns inbearings in the support 22 and has a hand-wheel 63 at its upper end. When the clutch 51 is not engaged, the shaft 53 turns freely in the worm wheel 56, but when the clutch is engaged the shaft 62 and worm 6| must be rotated in order'to turn the shaft 53. The arm 2| is moved to the approximately correct position by turning the hand-wheel 54, and final exact adjustment is obtained with the handwheel 63 which moves the arm 2| through very small distances in proportion to the movement of the hand-wheel.

The arm 2| has bearings 66 supporting a shaft .61 extending from one end of the arm 2| to a This pedestal is a rigid part of the hand-wheel 68 is rotated. The worm H has a slow pitch so that the gearing connection between the hand-wheel 68 and shaft 61 is irreversible and holds the slide 13 in any set position.

A lever 18 is connected with the lower end of the slide 13 by a pivot 19 which serves as the fulcrum of the lever. A gear sector 80 at the upper end of the lever 18 engages a gear 82. This gear turns on a pin 83 fixed to the slide 13.. A handle 84 connected to the gear 82 is used toturn the gear and adjust the position of the lever 18 so that the tips of the torches supported from the lever are in a line parallel to the surface of the billet or along a curve concentric with'the transverse curve of a concave or convex billet face.

If the billet is twisted, the handle 84 can be moved to progressively change the position of the torches in accordance with the twist of the billet. In addition to the rocking of the torches by means of the handle 84, it is necessary to eifect a slight raising or lowering of the torches by operating the hand-wheel 68 and/or a shifting of the torchcarrying frame transversely by operating the hand-wheel 63.

A yoke 88 is fastened to the lower end of the lever 18 and has pivot connections 81 with. side members 88 of the torch-supporting frame. The side members 88 are connected by lower and upper cross members 89 and 90.

The torches 25 are clamped in torch holders carried by the cross member 89. Each torch holder comprises upper and lower split clamp blocks 9| connected with a short T section 92 on the other side of the cross member 89 by screws 93 which extend through the cross member. The screws 93 of all except the end torch holders extend through vertical slots 94 in the cross mem-- ber 89. Each of the blocks 9| has a projection of reduced width on its front side fitting the slot 94 but somewhat shorter than the slot in a vertical direction so that the block has a limited vertical movement in the slot. The blocks 9| of adjacent torch holders are staggered in order to place the torch holders closer together.

With the torch holders in the positions shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the torches 25 are clamped in the holders in such relation that the torch tips extend in a straight line.

The torch tips direct streams of oxidizing gas at an acute angle to the surface of the billet. The streams are preferably, though not necessarily, also directed at a lateral inclination to the direc- ,tion of movement of the torches, as disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 13,983, filed March 30, 1935.

The frame 24 has a limited angular movement about the pivot connections 81 to change the inclination of the torch tips with respect to the surface of the billet. Links 96 connect the frame 24 with cranks 91 on the opposite ends of a shaft 98. The shaft 98 extends through bearings 99 on the lever 18, and has a handle I00 with a pawl I0| (Fig. 3) which engages the teeth of a gear segment I02 fastened to the lever 18. The maximummovement of the handle I00 tips the frame 24 through the angle indicated in Fig. 2 by the full line and the dotted line positions of the side member 88. The pawl |0I will hold the frame in intermediate positions.

The torches 25 connect with gas manifolds I04 extending along the cross member 80 of the torchsupporting frame .24. Gas is supplied to the manifolds from conduits I (Fig. 1) supported on the arm 2| by brackets I06. The conduits I05 are connected with the manifolds I04 by flexible hose of the end torch holders on the cross member 89 (Fig. 4) are fixed. The center torch holder has a pivot connection H5 with a lever II 8. The

fulcrum of the lever H6 is a pivot connection III between the lever and the cross member 88.

The upper end of the lever 6 has a projection IIS (Fig. 7) which engages notches in a notched plate 0 fastened to one of the side members 88. The lever H6 is held against the notched plate I28 by a spring I2I which bears against a stirrup I22 fastened to the side member 88. The lever H8 extends-beyond the side member 88 to provide a handle within convenient.

- pivot connection IIS. This pivot connection 8 is loose enough to allow vertical movement of the torch holder while the lever moves about a center.

Downward movement ofthe center torch holder bends the leaf spring I24 into a concave arc. and raising the center torch above the straightline position of Fig. 4 bends the leaf spring into a convex arc. Such bending of the spring moves the torch holders and causes the torch tips to take positions along a line having substantially the same curvature as the spring I24. This curvature can be changed by moving the handle 8 into different notches of th plate I20. Other means for shifting the torch tips into convex and concave relation may be employed.

The machine of this invention is adapted for removing the surface not only from billets but from metal bodies of various kinds. Inthe preferred embodiment of the invention the torches are moved while the billets remain stationary, but it will be understood that the necessary relative movement can be obtained by moving the billets or other metal bodies to be surfaced past stationary torches, or by moving the billets and torches simultaneously in opposite directions. In practice it has proved somewhat easier to move the torches and maintain a constant spacing of the torches from the surface of the metal body than it is to move the bodies and maintain the surface the bodies successively during said relative movement. 2. Billet surfacing apparatus comprising two spaced, parallel billet tables, a track between said tables and extending parallel to the tables, a carriage on the track, means for driving the carriage in either direction along the track, a support with means for holding billet surfacing .torches, and means connecting the support with the carriage for rotary movement to swing the torches from a position over one billet table to a corresponding position over the other billet table so that the torches can surface a billet on one table while the carriage travels in one direction along the track and surface a billet on the other table while the carriage travelsalong the track in the opposite direction.

- 3. Apparatus for-surfacing metal bodies comprising a base, means for supporting bodies alo both sides of the base, means for moving the base parallel to the bodies, an arm with holders for supporting a plurality of torches in position to surface a body on one side of the base during the movement of the base in one direction, and a swivel connection betweenthe arm and base on which the arm is rotatable to move the torches into position to surface a body on the other side of the base-while the base travels in the opposite direction.

4. A billet surfacing machine comprising a carriage, a torch-supporting arm for holding torches in position to surface a billet extending along a side of the carriage, a swivel connection between the arm and carriage on which the arm swings to move the torches into position to surface billets on either side of the machine, a seat for an attendant, and connections for causing the seat to swing with the arm to maintain the seat in the same position relative to the torches when operating on a bille't along either side of the carriage.

5. A machine for surfacing metal bodies including in combination a carriage, an arm connected-to and extending transversely of the carriage, a frame carried by the arm adjacent one end of the arm, torch holders on the frame for supporting torches, means for causing the arm to move transversely of the carriage to position said frame over a body to be surfaced, and means for raising and lowering the frame to control the spacing of the torches from the surface of the body.

6. A machine for surfacing metal bodies comprising a base, a transversely extending arm, a support for said arm connected with the base, a frame depending from one end of the arm beyond the base, holders on the frame for supporting torches. in position to surface a body alongside the base, means on the arm support for call...- ing the arm to move transversely to locate the torches at the desired spacing from the side of the base, and other means on the arm support for raising and lowering the frame to control the spacing of the torches from the body to be surfaced.

7. A machine for surfacing metal bodies comprising a base, an upright post connected with the base and rotatable about a vertical axis, a horizontal arm at the upper end of the post with one end of the arm extending beyond the side. of the base, a frame depending from the end of. the arm, torch holders on the frame for support ing a row of torches in position to surface a metal body alongside the base, the arm and frame being rotatable as a unit with the post to locate the torches on either side of the base and movable as a unit transversely of the base to locate the torches over bodies at diiierent distances from the base, and means for raising and lowering the frame with respect to the arm to regulate the spacing of the torches from said bodies.

8. A' machine for surfacing metal bodies comprising a base; an arm extending transversely beyond one side of the base, a support for said arm, means connecting said support to the base including a bearing on which the support is movable to rotate the arm into a position in which it extends beyond the other side of the base, a frame depending from one end of the arm beyond the base, holders on the frame for supporting torches in position to surface a body alongside the base, means on the arm support for causing the arm to move transversely to locate the torches at the desired spacing from theside of the base, and other means on the arm support for raising and lowering the frame to control the spacing of the torches from the body tobe surfaced. I

9. A machine for surfacing metal bodies including a carriage, an arm extending transversely beyond one side of the carriage, a support for the arm connected with the carriage, and rotatable about a vertical axis tomove the arm into' position where it extends beyond the other side of the carriage, brackets on the arm support holding gas conduits, a frame depending. from the end of the arm which extends beyond the side of the carriage, torch holders at the lower end of the frame, means for moving the arm and frame horizontally as a unit with respect to the support to change the spacing of the torches from the side of the carriage, means for moving the frame vertically with respect to the arm to space the torches from a body to be surfaced, and flexible hose for supplying gas from the conduits on said support to the torches on the frame.

10. In a machine for surfacing metal bodies, a base, means for causing relative movement of the base and the bodies to be surfaced, a support on the base, an arm extending from the support, a torch-holder frame carried by the arm and located over the bodies, and manually operated meansincluding'irreversible gearing for moving the torch-holder frame vertically to adjust its spacing from the bodies, said gearing comprising a slow pitch worm of such a nature that it is not operable by the load on the frame and said frame remains in any set position.

11. In a mach'ne for surfacing metal bodies, a base, means for causing relative movement of the base and the bodies to be surfaced, means on the base for supporting a torch-holder frame over the bodies, and mechanism for moving said frame transversely with respect to the base to accurately posltionthe frame over the bodies, said mechanism including manually operated means constructed and arranged to move the frame quickly and with little mechanical advantage, and manu-, ally actuated gearing having great mechanical advantage for moving said frame slowly to accomplish the final accurate positioning of said torchholcler frame.

12. Apparatus for removing metal from metal bodies comprising a plurality of torches with their tips disposed to direct touching oxidizing streams against the surface of the metal body, means for causing movement of the torches as a unit paral lel to the surface of the metal body, means for shifting the torches as a unit to change the inclination at which the oxidizing streat are directed against the surface of the body, d other means for causing relative movement of the torches'with respect to one another to dispose the t'ps along an are for directing oxidizing streams against a transversely curved surface.

13. Torch supporting apparatus including in combination a frame, a plurality of torch holders connected to the frame and having a sliding movement on the frame, and means connecting the torch holders and operable to shift said holders and change the alinement of torches carried by the holdersin the direction of the spacing of the torches from the work.

14. The combination of a plurality of torches,

means holding the torches with their tips substantially equally spaced from alplane surface against which the torches direct streams of gas, and means operable to shift the torch holders and cause the torch tips to move into a curve to obtain'subs'tantially equal spacing of the tips from a transversely curved surface.

15. In a billet surfacing machine. a supporting frame, a plurality of torch holders connected with the frame and all except the end torch holders vertically movable on the frame, a stiff leaf spring extendingthrough portions of the vertically movable torch holders, means restraining the ends of the leaf spring against vertical movement with respect to the frame, manually operated means for raising and lowering the center torch holder and bending the leaf spring into concave or con- .vex arcs to shift the torch tips supported by the holders into convex and concave arcs for surfacing billets having such a transverse curvature, and means for holding said manually operated means in different positions to obtain vari- JAMES L. ANDERSON.- 

